"mashedpotatoes" news and stories

Earlier, I blogged about my latest foray into collard greens. The above is the dish I came up with to have alongside it. I'm not sure why I tend to make towers of food when I get creative in my kitchen, but welcome the repetition since every one has turned out so darned good.

This one came about because I didn't have time to thaw anything big, had no bread, and didn't want to have a salad for the third day in a row. So, the one thing I could thaw quick came out of the freezer, sausage, and a small, leftover chunk of cheese came out of the fridge.

I lined a bowl with foil to make sure the potato wouldn't stick (make sure it's oven safe!), then coated the bottom and sides of the bowl with non-stick spray, and then the mashed potatoes. This created a bowl that I put my sauteed, chopped elk sausage and cheese in, before topping with more potatoes, covering with foil, and throwing it in my toaster oven for a bit to melt the cheese. When the greens were done, I took it out, opened the foil, flipped it onto a plate, and peeled the foil away.

It was quick, easy, and quite delicious paired with the collard greens. I think kidlets making mashed tater mountains have the right idea!

While I like desserts as much as the next girl, when it comes down to the question of sweet verses savory, I will always go in the direction of savory. Give me buttered toast, seeded crackers or potatoes of nearly any variety and I'm a happy camper.

These Roasted Leek and Carrot Mashed Potatoes with Thyme from Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails speak directly to the savory food lover in me and make me want to run out and buy some potatoes and leeks (I've already got carrots) in order to whip them up. To truly tantalize yourself, make sure to check out the full recipe on Kate's blog.

Delicious! Thanks Kate!

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Leftover mashed potatoes? Please allow me to direct your attention to Not Made of Money's article on what to do with your starchy surplus. Their 10 creative ideas include shepherd's pie, Thanksgiving casserole, mashed potato soup (!), mashed potato dumplings, mashed potato patties, mashed potato and egg hash, mashed potato rolls, and mashed potato and salmon croquetes. Or you could just eat them cold with a spoon in front or the fridge at 2 a.m.. Not that I do that or anything.

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When it comes to Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, I've generally found that the key element is quantity. I save the truffled, blue cheese-infused, roasted garlic potatoes for the rest of the year, when everybody is in the mood to try something new. On Thanksgiving, nobody really wants to be impressed: what they're really concerned with is being full.

And there's nothing more disappointing than running out of potatoes.

With that in mind, here's a basic recipe for making ten pounds of incredibly fattening mashed potatoes. The heavy amounts of cream, milk, and butter give it a smooth, rich texture, while the nutmeg gives it a nice, rounded tone. If you are concerned about having completely white mashed potatoes, use white pepper and omit the nutmeg; otherwise, feel free to use regular black pepper.

10 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into pats
1/2 cup whole milk
Salt to taste (I start with a tablespoon and work up from there)
Pepper and nutmeg to taste (I generally use a heaping teaspoon of each)

Drop potatoes into boiling water. Return water to a simmer, but do not boil. Cook until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain, place in large bowl, and mash with a potato masher or two forks.

Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until butter is melted. Do not allow to boil. Add cream mixture to potatoes and, using either a spoon or a hand mixer, mix until potatoes are smooth. Add milk as needed to achieve a smooth texture. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Serve immediately.

Any traditional Thanksgiving meal must have mashed potatoes, but that doesn't mean you have to go with the plain butter variety, or even garlic. What about this recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit and Epicurious? If you want something a little less rich, I suggest the Chive and Parsley Mashed Potatoes -- light and delicious.

Caramelized-Shallot Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 tbsp of butter, divided
2 cups sliced shallots
3/4 cup whole milk
2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes -- peeled and quartered

• Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender and brown, stirring often. (Approx. 20 minutes) Transfer the shallots to a bowl, add milk to skillet, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil, then let simmer until tender. Drain them and then stir over medium heat until dry.
  
• Add remaining butter to potatoes while bringing milk to a simmer in the skillet. Scrap any browned bits and add the milk to the potatoes. Mash, stir in shallots, and season with salt and pepper.